Greens put community first in urban development

Hear more from the Greens in the Canberra Times coverage of this story.

The ACT Greens have announced a plan to ensure Canberra communities, rather than developers, benefit most from urban planning and design decisions.

“This is about giving Canberrans confidence that planning decisions will result in quality housing, connected neighbourhoods and a more liveable city, not just profits for big developers,” said ACT Greens candidate and planning spokesperson Caroline Le Couteur.

“People have told us they want the Greens to deliver quality housing, better public transport connections and government they can trust. This policy addresses all three.”

The Greens' plan would re­assert the Planning Authority’s independence from the government of the day, mandate better design standards for new apartments, enhance strategic planning like integration with public transport, and improve certification and inspection processes.

"Every Canberran has heard a horror story about shoddy construction, or has one of their own, but our community deserves better than this,” said Ms Le Couteur.

"When I was a MLA, I visited a house in Ainslie where the floor had been built below ground level and water was getting in everywhere. The house had to be knocked down but there was insufficient insurance or warranty to cover the costs.

"I remember hearing stories about apartments in Kingston where the bathrooms weren’t waterproofed and glass balconies fell off because of shoddy construction and certification.

“With a changing climate, an ageing population and increasing urban density, only the Greens have a plan to put the community first and ensure a high standard of development in Canberra,” said Ms Le Couteur.